Paint Me Black and Blue
by expectancy
Summary: "Paint me black and blue, Natsu." She said and laughed hysterically at the sight of the pink-haired man chewing on the paintbrush, deep in thought. Dipping the paintbrush in crimson paint, he replied, "Nah, I prefer red." (NaLu, hints of GaLe later on: Alternate Universe)
1. Of Goodbyes and Greetings

_I finally managed to publish a new story. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to do so immediately after publishing Unrealistic (which, by the way, I will update in the nearest future!), but ideas don't come to me as easily as I'd like them to. So, with managing to let my terrible grammar and unedited chapters slide, enjoy my new story. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated. _

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Seriously? If I owned the original thing, would there really be a category and would I really need to publish it right here? _

_Small warning: English is my second language, and I am certainly not in university, so I apologise greatly for not using the correct facts or vocabulary._

* * *

**Of Goodbyes and Greetings**

"How can an university course – which, I shall add, a numerous amount of people had been enjoying – suddenly get cancelled?" A white-haired female with short hair questioned. "Professor Dreyar, the amount of time the majority of us had spent on studying for the specific course is unbelievable!"

In response, the old man stood on the office chair his grandson was previously seated in, and chuckled at the adolescent girl's attitude. "Miss Strauss, no matter how different your current option selection from your foregoing one is the coursework and achieved grades will forever remain on your record and will be taken into consideration once your graduation approaches." He paused for a second. "Mind you, English literature would be an exceptionally great choice for you…"

Lisanna stared at the careless man in disbelief, but had decided to drop the subject despite its solemnity. Her glare remained in place as the other students, much to no avail, tried desperately to argue with Makarov and persuade him to resume the former course.

Gajeel Redfox snorted in amusement. "Morons, the old geezer is only fuckin' with us; how stupid do you have to be to realise it?"

"Gajeel, you foul-mouthed imbecile, control your language!" A petite blunette shrieked, whacking the former's face with her orange bandana.

"Whatever floats your boat, Shrimp."

"Shut up, you brats!" Makarov yelled, proceeding to unfold a piece of A4 paper with an expression of entertainment plastered on his face. "Here are the secondary preferences that you've selected a few days ago: Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia, Juvia Lockser, the three of you will be starting the art course. Levy McGarden, English literature was your choice. Gajeel Redfox, performing arts. Lisanna Strauss, biology. Laki Olietta, you're in for forensic science. And finally, Cana Alberona, you chose food technology. Now, get out of my office before I make you – you are all free to return home, so take the opportunity."

"One question, Professor Dreyar," a brown-haired student asked, then paused to wait for the man's approval of continuation. "Will my course include drinking alcohol?"

Makarov sighed, and pointed in the direction of the door. "All eight of you, leave immediately."

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia walked through the corridors of the student accommodation at a steady pace, Levy McGarden (with a dozen of books, of course) trailing right behind her. The two were completely intrigued by their conversation and had completely blocked out any interrupting noises.

"Aye, Lu-chan, since you wish to be a famous author, why did you pick an unrelated course? We could've had the same opportunities, or maybe even a chance to write successful books. Don't you think that you've made the wrong decision?" Levy queried.

"You see, I really wanted to try something new – something I'm completely unfamiliar with. Writing is my secret passion, not something I'm remarkably good at. Besides, when your books become international bestsellers, I will take the credit for designing your covers." She stated in response, making her best friend chuckle.

"That explains your choice. I haven't yet solved the mystery of Juvia and Gray picking the same subject, and I definitely need to investigate Gajeel's choice of performing arts. I mean, knowing Redfox, he would get frustrated with it, then decide to miss about a performance or two, and finally continue the learning with repeating this process in about three weeks. Besides, he cannot sing or act."

Lucy's lips curved into a small smile as she fiddled with the keys and attempted to open the door while holding the equipment she had purchased. "Simple – Gray's paintings and creations are mesmerizing, and Juvia follows her, you know, imaginary lover to the ends of this planet. As for Gajeel, the other courses probably required too much effort." The blonde dropped her paintbrushes and palettes beside her unmade bed and pointed at the door. "So, Levy-chan, do you want to have some fun tonight?"

Levy thought about her decision for a moment, before winking at her best friend.

"Thought you'd never ask! Let's go!"

Two miles away from Fairy Hills, the place Levy and Lucy reside in, Lisanna, Gajeel, Cana, Gray, Juvia and Laki all returned to their accommodations, and since the majority of them were located virtually next to each other, the six of them have gathered in Lisanna's apartment; the short-haired beauty and their other childhood friend have been sharing the apartment as soon as they started university. Since the salmon-haired's man course required plenty of practice – for him, anyway - the group of friends always visited Lisanna's dormitory.

"Man, Fairy Tail University is so messed up." Gray stated, turning to face Laki and collapsing onto the leather couch positioned on the absent companion's side. The jealous glare sent by Juvia was simply ignored by the two eighteen-year-olds.

The violet-haired female adjusted her glasses, then grabbed the nearest bottle and whacked across Gray's head. "I am positively not a man, you imbecilic exhibitionist!"

He ruffled his raven hair and frowned in confusion. "An imbedded…examplanist…what?"

Before Laki had the chance to respond to her comrade's stupidity, the door swung open and an exhausted man with spiky hair which, unusually, was coloured a light shade of pink, as well as piercingly onyx eyes. The sight of the youngest Strauss sibling caused a smile to appear on his childlike face; two seconds later, after his eyes landed on a half-naked Gray Fullbuster, the smile faltered and turned into an annoyed expression.

"Yo, droopy eyes! Why are you infecting my couch?!" He yelled, clenching his fists. "Fight me, ice freak!"

Unaffected, the former has replied, "Your vocabulary impresses me, squinty eyes. I'm surprised that you're familiar with the word 'infected'. Actually, you probably used it to make you seem intelligent." He smirked. "Besides, Dragneel, I'm joining your course, and I'll finally show you how incredible my creations are in comparison to your inaccurate sketches."

The group of friends stayed soundless until a deep, rough voice interrupted the savoured silence.

"Am I the only one, who thinks that the stripper should've studied Shakespeare or whatever the hell is linked to poetry?"

"Gajeel-kun," the gloomy girl dressed in various shades of blue warned. "Gray-sama's artwork is equivalent to perfection, even though his poetry skills shouldn't go appreciated. Do not question his choice."

"Ay, rain girl, calm yourself; have a drink." Grinning, the biggest, most durable drinker of Fairy Tail stated.

"Says the woman who doesn't have a problem with outranking Professor Macao or Professor Wakaba when it comes to drinking…" said Lisanna, chuckling under her breath.

"Guys…" mumbled Laki, although it was barely audible. "…Gray doesn't know what an exhibitionist is."

Gajeel's crimson eyes widened in disbelief. "The bastard doesn't know himself?!"

* * *

At the second building of Fairy Tail – the teacher accommodation section, and not to mention at three o'clock in the _morning_ –, a sophisticated, not to mention _exhausted_ woman tied her flawlessly scarlet hair into a loose ponytail, failing to catch some strands but not bothering to change the hairstyle or search for a hairclip. Instead, Erza Scarlet grabbed the folders that she has received from Master Makarov, as she addressed him, and sat behind her desk in attempt to scan through them. While doing so, she paused for a moment, her gaze drifting towards a photo of her with a certain man.

It was the first time she had felt happiness. The image displayed the said female dressed in a long, loose shirt, grinning up at a blue-haired man with an unusual tattoo trailing from his forehead down his smiling face. The next photo in the frame was certainly what followed the previous event – their lips were connected, their facial expressions still showing unconditional contentment. Six months ago, before the twenty-three-year-old woman bid farewell to Jellal Fernandes, who was now under the wings of Crime Sorciere University over three hundred miles away.

_"Scarlet," he would whisper, running his hand through her perfectly straight hair while she snuggled into his side and pretended to fall asleep. "It's the colour of your hair. It always was."_

Groaning, she flipped the photo frame around and proceeded to open the file. As she did so, a brown envelope stood out from the numerous white papers. Since Master Makarov was the only person who used the kind of envelopes, it must have been a letter from the old man.

_Dear Erza,_

_Evergreen, the usual teacher with the Master Arts degree, has been chosen to be a potential teacher in the University of Lamia Scale with Raijinshuu – Fried and Bickslow, the resistant materials & textiles and performing arts teachers -, which would last for a longer period of time. Knowing your fear of performances and acting and noticing your incredible art skills, I have chosen you as a replacement for Evergreen. As you know, Reedus Jonah had agreed to taking classes as a substitute professor for Blue Pegasus. Knowing you, working at the university wouldn't make you comfortable. After all, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki works in the same department. Anyway, Mirajane Strauss, as she is the only one with a Physics Master Degree, will be able to take over your lessons when the timetables collide. Of course, a part from that, your finances and earnings will increase by 30%. I expect an immediate response; Scarlet, I'm counting on you, my child. _

_Regards, _

_Makarov Dreyar_

Erza sighed in exasperation. She surely adored her job and didn't necessarily mind seeing the terrified teenagers after the consequences of not following her instructions, but the troublesome people were getting on her nerves. After finally putting the letter aside and glancing at the list of students, though, her mind changed immediately.

_Elfman Strauss_

_Gray Fullbuster_

_Juvia Lockser_

_Lucy Heartfilia _

_Natsu Dragneel_

The scarlet-haired lady swiftly snatched a piece of plain, A4 paper and began to write a reply letter.

"Honestly, this is the first time I won't complain about Fairy Tail's lack of popularity. I wouldn't be able to cope if I had to deal with someone like Gajeel Redfox or another foolish creature."

* * *

She was officially known for being extremely forgetful. Hell, she was often scolded for doing so in secondary school, and just as she thought her memory had stabilized, she forgot once again. Which is exactly why Lucy Heartfilia - dressed only in a pink, bunny-resembling onesie - was currently running across the Magnolia Shopping without being bothered as the people stared at her in complete confusion. And truthfully, if her dreams weren't always reminding the things she had forgotten, then she would've arrived to her first lessons without a set of_ basic equipment_.

On the other side of the shopping precinct, a troubled, salmon-haired eighteen-year-old searched for a store specialising in drawing and painting assortments.

And because they searched for identical things, their worlds may have collided.


	2. Of Death Threats and Partners

_I officially despise school and the fools who attend it for keeping me occupied for so long. I envy everyone whose summer holidays had began. _

_Besides, I blame Fairy Tail - now that I have slightly more time, I have a chance to catch up on the Tenrou arc. _

_**Disclaimer:**__ I am, in no way, the incredible Hiro Mashima. _

* * *

**Of Death Threats and Partners**

Natsu Dragneel was, once again, running across the narrow streets and pathways, desperate to get through multiple bundles of students heading to the specific university sections. The eighteen-year-old had often wondered how in this damned world they managed to arrive on time – without having a single late mark or an attendance drop - despite not putting an effort into managing it.

After Igneel Dragneel had abandoned the ten-year-old Natsu without leaving a letter of apology or acknowledging the young boy of his foster father's existence, he was taken in by Makarov Dreyar; not only the man with the highest, most important position in the Fairy Tail University, but also the assistant founder of the Fairy Tail Care Home. Natsu, together with Erza Scarlet – the physics teacher and a candidate for the affiliation of scariest females to ever have an association with the university –, Lisanna Strauss, his closest comrade and a childhood associate, as well as many other acquaintances, had lived under Makarov's roof until the age of sixteen, when he had decided to finally found a source of finances and a decent apartment to reside in. The youngest Strauss sibling was reluctant to his decision, but soon realised that his hopelessness would undoubtedly cause annihilation and has accompanied him to this day.

Now that he thought about it for what seemed like an eternity, living with those people was the reason for an undeveloped ability of time management. And ever since Erza, one of the eldest had left, nobody had the capabilities of forcing Dragneel out of his bed.

* * *

A specific blue-haired eighteen-year-old stirred under the beige blankets, occasionally mumbling an irrelevant word or two in her sleep. In the intervening time, Lucy had tried to practically tear the blankets off the albeit small, but unbelievably strong female only to find her unaffected.

"Levy McGarden, if you don't get up immediately, I will set fire to your fucking house." She finally said in a sickly sweet tone, throwing her best friend off the couch she had slept on the previous night.

"Lu, if you set my accommodation on fire, you'll lose all your belongings. Remember that we're living together, right?" Levy's smart remark disturbed the short moment of silence. Seconds later, she stopped to stare at the clock. "Besides, it's 7:30! The courses can't start until at least an hour passes; what in the world had made Lucy Heartfilia, the queen of delays rise with the sun?"

The said blonde laughed, running a hand through her hair after hearing Levy's exaggeration. "I _might_ have forgotten to get a specific piece of equipment necessary for my new course…" She lifted the now complete selection of equipment. Then, as the realisation hit her, she dropped everything and grabbed her new timetable. "…well, I'll be screwed, Levy – my first session starts in thirty minutes, and I'm nowhere near being ready!"

The smaller female practically kicked the covers off of her within three seconds, and proceeded to support her messy hairstyle with a traditional, orange bandana. "You're not alone, for Mavis' sake!" she screamed, picking up her notepads and stuffing them into a red bag. "I cannot afford arriving late for my first lectures! I mean, you haven't picked English literature, so you have it slightly easier!"

Lucy simply brushed off her best friend's worries and tied her medium-length hair into exceptionally low ponytails, switched her loose and slightly stained bunny onesie with an exquisite, pleaded skirt and a vest of the identical colour. She then glanced in Levy's direction only to witness her – still dressed in her sleeping attire - struggling with fitting a dozen of thickly-covered books into plastic carrier bags which, to no surprise, couldn't convey the weight and tore apart every single time. Irritated enough, the blunette noticed Lucy's glare and ominously frowned at her amusement as she attempted to reach for another bag. Chuckling, the former threw a plain canvas bag and started to collect the numerous books, then carelessly began stuffing them into it. After the twelfth book was safely secured in Levy's additional bag, the blonde huffed in victory and handed it to the impatient teenager.

"Hey, you get dressed; I'll handle your equipment…" she muttered, spotting at least three pencil cases and 200 sheets of lined A4 paper. "You don't necessarily need everything for today, right?"

Once again, Levy scowled. "If I didn't need it, then I wouldn't actually prepare it, would I? Of course it's necessary – technically, I am a month behind, which means that keeping up is my priority!"

Without another word, Lucy tossed an orange, sleeveless dress at the bookworm and left the apartment herself, suddenly losing the motivation and leaving the puzzled teenager behind with a pile of disorganised preparations.

* * *

Art is usually a way of expressing emotions and transferring them onto canvas, or even a piece of plain paper: the sketches resemble feelings, while the colour palettes and paint highlight negativity or positivity. Undoubtedly, these comparisons bear a significant importance in such a valuable profession, and as an art student, those were the basics everyone needed to remember off by heart, as if they were permanently imprinted into their brains.

At least that's exactly the way Reedus Jonah, the previous art teacher had taught them that way, and with Erza Scarlet being the substitute for the whole academic year, this was definitely a subject to change.

Having a degree in physics and arts, the red-head was able to sketch flawlessly, draw in perfect proportion, blend miscellaneous colour shades together to achieve a certain effect, impeccably drag the paintbrushes across medium-sized canvas and compose an outstanding creation by combining the techniques into one. Fortunately, she understood the purpose of arts – she only had slight difficulties with expressing them in the correct way. And even a slight imbecile like Natsu Dragneel could notice it without straining his eyes.

"Alright, class, this is my first session with the group of you. You are all expected to continue the simple tasks Professor Jonah had set, and then begin the extension and improvement task." She recited. "Now, allow me to check who had bothered to turn up today. Natsu Dragneel?"

"Aye, I'm here."

"Elfman Strauss?"

"MAN!" That, of course, was a yes.

"Laxus Dreyar is on part-time studies, I assume. Understandable. For the new students: Gray Fullbuster?"

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

"Juvia Lockser?"

"Beside Gray-sama!" This statement had also counted as a yes.

"Lucy Heartfilia?"

No response at all, which Erza thought was absolutely despicable – very few students had dared to miss their primary sessions of a new course, and with Lucy being one of the top achievers on her previous one, this was considered as a complete misunderstanding.

And just as the teacher finished her register, the door swung open and an exhausted blonde entered the classroom. "S-sorry I'm late! I wasn't able to gather all the equipment and the new department had me confused-"

"All right, Heartfilia," Scarlet looked at her watch. "You're exactly thirteen seconds late, but I guess that your explanation makes sense. You're a new student, am I correct?"

The blonde nodded, relief still rushing over her.

"Magnificent; we're happening to continue the previous works from last week, and for that, you will need a partner. Since Elfman is explaining the tasks to Juvia and Gray, who I suppose are working together, you have a choice of Natsu Dragneel or leaving the classroom."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Uh, the first option is my ultimate preference," She then pointed at a bundle of pink hair. "Since he's not working with a partner, this is the person you were referring to, Professor?"

"Yes, that is Natsu. And please, don't bother with the formalities – my name is Erza Scarlet."

Lucy nodded once again (this time, with a smile appearing on her face) and made her way over to her new companion. Her first impressions of him were mixed: of course, he appeared to be quite sophisticated and less troubling than she would've thought, and the standards of his work were satisfying. On the other hand, he was slightly strange – which male would dye their hair pink, for Mavis' sake?

"First of all, my hair isn't pink, missy…it is actually salmon. Second of all, I can easily hear what you're saying, even if you're not loud. My hearing senses are quite extra. Finally, I'm Natsu Dragneel, the son of Igneel Dragneel." He introduced himself proudly.

Lucy hadn't realised that the words actually escaped her mouth at first._ Well_, she thought, _what's done is done and there's no turning back. Apart from that, two can play at this game. _

"Nice to meet you, Natsu Dragneel. It's also nice to be acknowledged of what your hair colour actually is. First of all, even if a heightened ability of hearing is your positive aspect, English must have been your worse subject at school – I think you meant extraordinary. Second of all, my name is Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of Layla and Jude Heartfilia. And finally, I've been selected to be your partner. I have a feeling that we'll come to agreements exceptionally well." She replied, specifically making sure to use a similar tone to his.

"Believe me, Lucy Heartfilia, there is no need for formalities; call me Natsu. If your art skills are terrible, let me do the honours. I'll surely credit you with at least 10% of the work."

"I'm capable of painting,_ Natsu_. I haven't picked this as my secondary course option for nothing."

"Fine, whatever you say. I don't actually care." He shrugged, and continued sketching the final piece.

_Oh, they really were going to agree exceptionally well - too well for their own liking. _


	3. Of Misunderstandings & Ruined Paintings

_ Ugh, I'm terribly sorry for delaying this chapter, but writing another story (Gajeel x Levy) and coming up with ideas for the two without having a planned plot is strangely difficult. By the way, I've decided to name all the chapters, mainly because I have nothing to do with my life and this story needed originality. As of now, the chapters will definitely get longer though. c:_

_Beware of the typos in this one - it's unedited, like the rest, but reviews (especially constructive criticism) would be appreciated! _

**_Disclaimer: _**_I own a chocolate bar, not Fairy Tail._

* * *

**Of Misunderstandings and Ruined Paintings**

The blonde dragged a thin paintbrush across the sketch of Natsu's symmetrical work, carefully avoiding the other sections. So far, the course had been fairly enjoyable – her salmon-haired partner hadn't been as distracting as she predicted and the standard of their project was decent. Even Erza had shot the two approving glances and spotted potential in at least one of the newcomers had settled in reasonably well. And just as she was about to dip the paintbrush in another shade of green, it was ripped out of her hand and dropped on to the floor.

"No, no, Luigi; you're doing this completely wrong! You use the lighter colours first, not black straight away. Why did I even accept Professor Scarlet's offer of you being my assistant?"

"Dammit, Natsu!" she cursed. "If you hadn't noticed, the paintbrush itself is black, and the specific shade of green perfectly blends with it. Next time you accuse me of ruining your masterpiece, at least remember my name. And, for your information, my assistance saved your ass."

Erza raised her eyebrows. "Dragneel, Heartfilia, are you finished with your pointless arguments, or do you wish to result like Yukino Aguria of Sabertooth Academy and Ultear Milkovich of Grimoire Heart University?"

The two shivered, avoiding each other's eyes, and then shaking their heads in perfect synchronisation. Nobody – not even Laxus Dreyar, the rebellious grandson of Professor Makarov who had currently returned for part-time studies after being expelled for major destruction and record disappearance – would agree to the fate of a certain white-haired student and the potential professor of the mentioned learning departments. For all Lucy Heartfilia knew, she did not want her future to switch directions.

The blonde was the first to mutter an apology. "I don't know about Dragneel's decision, but I certainly want to graduate and have a secure future."

"Yeah, yeah, blondie; you're actually not the only one." He replied, pleading in despair to have the vicious glare of his childhood companion, the red-haired demon in disguise switch to his partner.

_Sometimes, the heightened senses are quite an advantage, _Natsu thought. _Especially if you're not looking for a death sentence. _Just then, an idea popped into his head.

"Hey, weirdo, why don't you visit my place straight after your classes? Then we can easily plan out project. Here; I'll gladly sketch out a map for you!" He shouted out enthusiastically (too enthusiastically for the newbie's liking), handing the puzzled girl a scruffy, messily folded piece of paper three minutes later. "Catch ya later!"

And Lucy mentally scolded herself for accepting the crumbled thing.

* * *

The blonde stood in front of a tall, brown building, then glanced at the sketched directions Natsu had given her. Although his art grades must've been outstanding in every school he had been in, the incorrectly labelled streets and the unsymmetrical building with an arrow pointing above and the word 'Here' written in messy cursive clearly said otherwise.

Sighing, she entered and soon found herself knocking on her colleague's – if she could use that word to describe him – door. And to her apprehension, it was a young, white-haired female with strikingly blue eyes who answered.

"Does Natsu live here?" Lucy instantaneously spluttered out, only then remembering that she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Uh, I apologise…I'm not quite myself around people. I'm Lucy Heartfilia – Natsu's partner in art classes. He gave me this thing," she held up the paper. "He claims to be a professionally drawn map and asked me to visit him and continue working on our art project."

"Don't apologise; you've come to the right place, even if that childish fool gave you this…_thing! _ I'm Lisanna Strauss, Natsu's best friend. But I certainly don't remember him mentioning a Lucy, or saying that she would be visiting today." She replied, and Lucy had taken an immediate liking to her.

"We've been in identical classes but we haven't had a chance to introduce ourselves properly, am I right?" The guest laughed, earning a nod from the other girl.

"Lisanna, who's at the door?" A familiar voice yelled, supposedly from another room.

"Oh! Natsu! Just the right person – your art partner, Lucy had visited you. She's waiting at the door."

A shaft of pink hair emerged from the hallway and soon stood beside Lisanna, confused. He hadn't invited anyone apart from Gray, Laki, Gajeel, Juvia and Cana while his best friend had only allowed the elder Strauss siblings – Mirajane and Elfman – to visit beside the five. Especially not a blonde (stereotypically and realistically) weirdo from his art classes…

"Art classes!" He yelled to nobody in particular, earning two pairs of extremely confused eyes glancing at him from afar. "We have to finish that damned art project, don't we? I completely forgot, and I've invited that fucking stripper with his personal stalker and the rest. I have to call them off or we'll never finish our – well, mine, actually – masterpiece."

Lucy could easily recognise the uneasiness and confusion plastered covering the usually amused expression on his face; Natsu had simply forgotten about their agreement, and knowing her creativity, an interesting idea would soon appear in her head.

"Natsu," She blinked innocently. "I'd love to meet your friends. We'll be spending time together quite often, don't you think?"

* * *

"Lucy, this is stripper. You should know him, though – I'm pretty sure that you've been in the same classes before, and you still are now." The pink-haired man explained.

"Shut up, squinty eyes." The unknown man spat in Natsu's direction, then turned to the embarrassed blonde. "I'm Gray Fullbuster, and I don't think that we've had the chance to exchange a few words despite choosing the same courses."

"Gray? Pronounced and spelled like the colour?" She queried.

"Of course not, weirdo! He probably mistook his name for Gay. Spelled correctly and very accurate indeed, don't you think?" Natsu stated with pride.

"Alright, you bitch, you've crossed the line!"

Uninterested, Lucy had displayed her stern expression and walked away from the troublemaking duo, heading in the direction of what she thought was the kitchen. However, as she entered the place, it was decided that the room resembled a pub. The two young females (one of them indecently drinking barrels of alcohol while sitting on the countertop while the other one, Natsu's partner prepared the assortments of food) that were pleasantly humming to the sound of an unknown song playing on the radio instantly glanced her way.

"Excuse me…Rihanna, was it?" She questioned the short-haired one, instantly feeling embarrassed of forgetting her name almost immediately.

"Rihanna? She certainly doesn't sing or walks like her – I'm sure that Lisanna is the name you're actually looking for, Blondie." The brunette beside her snarled, grabbing a clean glass and proximately filling it with alcohol. "Loosen up."

"No, thank you; alcohol badly affects my body and personality." Lucy looked at the drinker only to notice her wearing an ordinary, blue bra and the infamous three-quarter trousers. "_Observing you, I could say that we're quite similar in the drinking areas_." The blonde inaudibly muttered that part.

"Cana," the more responsible person, Lisanna, interrupted her thoughts. "You're making Lucy feel uncomfortable. We're all used to handling the majority of your mood swings, but she certainly feels uneasy."

_Correct,_ Lucy thought_, it's almost like she can see right through my poorly arranged disguise._

"Don't worry, Strauss, Lucy girl and I will become best friends in no time."

She sighed in exasperation. Her usually easy to find – mainly because of his outstanding hair colour or strictly loud, annoying personality – companion was nowhere in sight, and the thought of spending another moment around the insane strangers drove her into a state of depression. Then again, Natsu seemed further from reality than the three she had already met (Gray, Lisanna and Cana) combined.

* * *

"Natsu Dragneel, I will personally chop off your balls and feed them to wild wolves or shove them down your throat if you don't reveal yourself in thirteen seconds!"

Still not a trace of the idiot. She couldn't understand; those types of threats usually worked on Levy, and the blunette's brain was unbelievably smart – genius even, in comparison to the salmon-haired asshole she had been practically forced to deal with. If only someone with a higher intelligence quotient, even that Gray stripper person that introduced himself earlier, had volunteered to be her project companion, she would've been the happiest female in the entire universe. Unfortunately, that was no longer a possibility.

"Did I just hear that right, or did you threaten to slice off firecracker's balls?" An amused tone was heard from the opposite section of the corridor, and a tall silhouette followed shortly. "You've surely proven yourself, bunny girl."

"Yes, I did," Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "However, I have a name, and your idiotic nickname is irrelevant."

"You were running around the streets when you should've been asleep in something extremely similar to a bunny costume. Care to explain that?"

"Excuse me, but you sound like you casually stalked me."

He chuckled, though it sounded like a growl. "Nah, I just have a photographic memory, and I happen to work overnight shifts in one of the coffee shops."

"Coincidence?" She interrogated.

"I assume." He flicked the light switch on and she could clearly make out his appearance: tanned, visibly rough skin decorated with multiple piercings, messily brushed, dark hair and strangely hazel – no, crimson – eyes. "Gajeel Redfox. Not a stalker." The intimidating man held out his hand.

Lucy paused for a moment, glancing back at him and spotting his impatience. She reluctantly nodded as her hand made contact with his and created a more formal meeting.

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia. Not a bunny freak."


	4. Of Silliness and Masterpieces

_I literally want to slap myself for not updating for so long, and school work together with my cousin's amazing idea of breaking my laptop system with his stupid gaming things didn't really help. It's still broken, hence the short chapter. Ugh. _

_Before I move on to the story, I want to say something quite important. I had to read the other chapters to see what I already wrote, and it made me cringe. So, expect some minor word editing in the three chapters. No plot changes, though. cx _

_Without other interruptions, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**Of Silliness and Masterpieces**

Lucy glanced at the dark-haired student with faked interests as he talked about how the role of a loving father during his course performance was a complete nightmare; she only bothered to nod every few sentences to assure him of her attention. Instead, she thought about the way her new project partner carelessly ditched their project and grades away for an evening with friends. It was already known that the salmon-haired fool was irresponsible – she just didn't think it went to that level. Sighing, she turned to Gajeel and frowned.

"-and then the idiot just jumped out of nowhere with his damn idea of swapping roles!"

Before he could continue, the blonde cut him off. "Gajeel, sorry to break your rant, but have you seen Natsu? I need to talk to him about something important and I've been sat here doing nothing for too long…you know, he and I need to discuss some things, and if he keeps hiding from me, then I will really not hesitate to chop off his testicles."

"Wow," He gasped. "Salamander picked a feisty one this time. Thought he would go for someone like the younger Strauss but it seems like he likes his ladies vicious."

"What are you talking about? Salamander?" She raised her eyebrow.

Gajeel only smirked back. "Never would I think that Dragneel would be decent enough to get together with a certain Bunny Girl and plan screwing each other sideways under the art table. About Salamander…that's the nickname almost everyone knows him under. I'm kinda surprised that his girl wouldn't know that."

Lucy's left eye twitched in frustration. "Firstly, if we didn't have to work on something university related together, I would stay at least fifteen feet away from that fool. Secondly, I think I told you to drop the nickname. Thirdly, say that Natsu and I are a couple once again and you'll be the second one up for castration."

Leaving a wide-eyed Gajeel behind, she ran across the room in search for her partner.

* * *

To say that Natsu had been frustrated was an understatement. While he was having a friendly, slightly out of hand argument with Gray due to the raven's stripping habit and his own anger management, a furious blonde barged into the room without anybody's permission, grabbed his collar and dragged across the carpet; it was an embarrassing sight before his rival and some of his friends.

Truthfully, he hadn't meant to forget about his and Lucy's arrangement – he simply forgot to mention that he had a weak memory. And now, as the female was sat on the chair right opposite to his, the amount of time he explained this to her didn't seem to matter.

"Lucy, I promise that I didn't mean to forget about the whole project thing…it's just that my memory doesn't work like I want it to-"

"_No, Dragneel_. You're not getting out of this as easily as you think. No way in hell."

The said man frowned. "Come on. You're making this sound like it's a war of tug!"

"Tug of war." She corrected him immediately, and then paused for a few seconds. "Wait, you didn't destroy the canvas? I swear, if Professor Scarlet finds out that you did something you weren't supposed to, then we're both screwed."

"Calm down, Luce. Lisanna and I carried it somewhere safe as soon as I came home. Wait here and I'll bring it." The salmon-haired student grinned reassuringly at her and stormed off to receive their project.

The blonde sighed. This was already developing into a tragic evening already, and she hadn't yet caught an opportunity which allowed her to relentlessly suffocate her art companion until the whole project was over. She had to admit – working with Natsu wasn't as disappointing as she expected it to be; she actually thought that beneath his stupidity was a talent that nobody, not even himself, had yet fully discovered and developed. Before Lucy had the time to think of something that will easily remove the disguise, the door swung open and revealed a struggling student trying to push an unfinished painting straight through the narrow doorway. Lucy found herself screaming and motioning for him to move back.

"Natsu! No! You're not supposed to push it straight over! Change the painting's position and then put it through!"

Chuckling at her attitude, he said, "Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a twist, Luce. Nobody stupid would do that to a painting."

Lucy rolled her eyes at both the nickname and snatched the painting away from him. "You, apparently. Never will I ever trust you with something university related again." She gently put the unfinished canvas against the couch and stepped back to briefly admire it.

"It's actually quite nice, that base sketch you did. A dragon?"

Natsu nodded. "I've been told that many times. Igneel used to collect dragon related things and I've been used to drawing dragon-related things. I guess you can say that I have experience…"

"Yeah, you really do. Should we polish your masterpiece and get the top marks from Professor Scarlet? I've heard that she adores your styles."

"Right! I'm all fired up!"

The two laughed at each other as they grabbed the paintbrushes and began painting.

* * *

Hours later, the two lay beside each other, and though they seemed utterly exhausted but satisfied with the final effects of their tries. The dragon had now stood out against the dull, aerial perspective Natsu created while Lucy worked on the minor details. The blonde herself selected a range of warm colours and steadily blended them together to create several shades of red; the two elements of their choice had combined perfectly and their assignment truly became a masterpiece.

The female sighed with fatigue while the male wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead.

"You know what, Natsu? I think that we actually make an amazing team when it comes to art. Otherwise, I still find it difficult to resist the urge of castrating you and getting that beautiful carpet dirty." She smirked.

Natsu nudged her side with his elbow. "Hey, don't be so cruel. Lisanna would slaughter me or lock the fridge if her precious carpet got stained. She already threatened to get her sister to kick my ass for ruining her old animal costume."

"Alright then. I'll make sure that Lisanna doesn't get her precious carpet stained and I'll actually let you live until we get our grades, but I'd have to go home to get my head off that temptation and discuss some things with my roommate." The blonde wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly shivering. "Damn it, you should've warned me that you're having friends over! I'll freeze to death in short sleeves at this hour!"

He cringed. "No, you're not walking anywhere on your own. Either I'm walking back with you or staying here overnight."

"Well, I do suppose that you'd be safer staying here with your own roommate, and I'd much rather prefer being at my own house, thank you. I'm choosing the first option."

With a swift nod, her salmon-haired companion grabbed his vest from the hanger attached to his bedroom door and walked out with Lucy on his trail. She picked up her bag from the room right beside Natsu's and joined him seconds later, nodding to confirm that she was ready to go.

The pair walked out of the building, Natsu always holding the door open for Lucy and claiming that he is the definition of a true gentleman and always getting a different type of eye roll from the said blonde. Their silhouettes were highlighted by the now fully visible moon and its illuminating light and the two had leaned against each other in a teasing way, still bickering and teasing each other about their arrangements. Looking from behind, they could have easily been mistaken for a couple.

"You know what? I'll make sure to inform Professor Scarlet of how foolish you previously were. Carrying a painting straight through the door…I guarantee that you'll be the laughing stock of the semester – a bright art student trying to demolish his precious masterpiece by not being able to carry it properly. If I were you, Natsu Dragneel, I would either run away or quit the course."

"And if I were you, Lucy Heartfilia, I wouldn't speak of that. After all, I can always take all the credit for our joined project for myself. The teacher isn't stupid enough not to tell apart our equipment and paints. You prefer delicate colours and I go for the fiery ones." He shot back at her, grinning.

"Damn you, Natsu. You actually have a brain." Lucy chuckled lightly at Natsu's behaviour.

"Oh, of course I do."

* * *

They decided to continue their little talks until they had reached the blonde's apartment complex – she had arrived hours later than expected and was slightly nervous of seeing her roommate's reaction; Levy definitely was smaller than average females of her age, but that certainly did not seem to reflect on her strength. Swiftly bidding goodbye to the salmon-haired teen who had kindly escorted her home, Lucy jogged up the already dilapidated staircases (the elevator was broken once again; nothing unusual for a new building designed especially to fit the students' needs) only stopping as she had stood in front of the door and steadily pushed the key into its hole, turning right and unlocking the door.

As she had expected, the now infuriated blunette was sat on the small sofa – the rest of it completely stacked with books of every size – and glared at Lucy as she stepped through the threshold.

"Lu-chan, I thought I told you to be back before it started to get dark! I needed to work on the new old-fashioned script analysing challenge and translating it for the performing arts group to practise. Not to mention that the person this script is rearranged for is a complete asshole…no, most importantly, what time do you call this?!" She frowned at her best friend as the other simply grinned. "And what's so funny?"

"Levy-chan, it's time to forget about your asshole script receiver or whatever you just said. I have to talk to you about the project." Lucy said, sighing dreamily.

The smaller female mentally frowned.


End file.
